topic Re: Virginia Beach shootings in Community Chat

Virginia Beach shootings

RetRN — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 16:20:56 GMT

Another tragic loss of 12 lives due to workplace violence. So very sad for these grieving families.

Re: Virginia Beach shootings

meallen616 — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 16:50:50 GMT

Re: Virginia Beach shootings

golding76 — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 17:10:24 GMT

Tragic.

A blight on our nation.

Re: Virginia Beach shootings

Anonymous032819 — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 17:19:06 GMT

A thread about this was shut down by the mods yesterday, for being political.

This could be seen as re-starting a previously deleted thread.

But, yes, yet another tragedy.

Prayers all around.

Re: Virginia Beach shootings

Oostende — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 17:28:27 GMT

You know, I was just reading about this. I was just reading that the motive for the murders is unclear at this time.

For some reason, that is what I generally want to know. Generally my mind goes right to the why question. Why now? Why those particular victims? Why?

And of course my own mind always answers the question. There is no why. There is no possible reason, no possible motive, no possible explanation.

There is no answer that could possibly make sense. The best I can come up with is that a madness, or an evil, overtakes the mind of the murderer. Perhaps they are so unbearably angry that they are trying to murder the world itself.

I join the other people of goodwill who wish or pray for comfort for those affected.

Re: Virginia Beach shootings

J Town Girl — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 17:54:32 GMT

Our local police department offered a class on how to handle yourself if you are involved in a mass shooting situation.

The officer conducting it made a statement that really stuck with me... He said it's not a question of if it will happen to you...but when it will happen to you.

There are so many of these mass shooting in the world. Some are large like this one in Virginia Beach and others are smaller. Not long ago in our area, we had a shooter open fire in a crowded Wal-Mart store. Fortunately, no one was hit in the store but he then ran out into the parking lot and tried to get into a car with a young family.

At that point, he was shot and died at the scene.

I always try to be aware of what is happening anytime we are out in a public area. I've told my husband if I say we have to leave immediately don't question it just do it.

I don't want to live in fear but I also think you have to keep yourself aware and alert to your surroundings.

It's so heartbreaking for those victims in Virginia Beach and the families they have left behind.

Re: Virginia Beach shootings

happycat — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 17:59:29 GMT

@J Town Girl wrote:
Our local police department offered a class on how to handle yourself if you are involved in a mass shooting situation.

The officer conducting it made a statement that really stuck with me... He said it's not a question of if it will happen to you...but when it will happen to you.

There are so many of these mass shooting in the world. Some are large like this one in Virginia Beach and others are smaller. Not long ago in our area, we had a shooter open fire in a crowded Wal-Mart store. Fortunately, no one was hit in the store but he then ran out into the parking lot and tried to get into a car with a young family.

At that point, he was shot and died at the scene.

I always try to be aware of what is happening anytime we are out in a public area. I've told my husband if I say we have to leave immediately don't question it just do it.

I don't want to live in fear but I also think you have to keep yourself aware and alert to your surroundings.

It's so heartbreaking for those victims in Virginia Beach and the families they have left behind.

@J Town Girl What did the policeman say to do in the event you are in a situation like this? I have heard people say to fight. I have heard others say to play dead.

I'm afraid I would be so in shock, it would be hard to even think of what to do.

Those words of when it happens to you and not if, are really something to think about.

Re: Virginia Beach shootings

suzyQ3 — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 18:09:49 GMT

In this story, they said that they had been prepared for a mass shooting. After what happened yesterday, a spokesperson said the obvious -- you just can't equate such training with the real thing. Too many variables, including people's reactions.

Re: Virginia Beach shootings

J Town Girl — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 18:15:23 GMT

@happycat He spoke about trying to barricade yourself in a room if possible. If you are in a public area and there is nowhere to hide he did suggest just falling down and pretending to be dead. He said at times these shooters will just pass you by and move on to another person.

A few years ago in a city not too far from my town, a guy went into a JCPenney store with a rifle and just opened fire randomly. He killed several people but a few managed to survive by hiding in a dressing room.

He gave no reason as to why he did it when he was caught. What crazy thoughts must go through these people's mind.

Re: Virginia Beach shootings

SilleeMee — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 18:16:52 GMT

I'm sorry for the loss.

Yet another mass shooting in a gun-free zone.

Re: Virginia Beach shootings

scatcat — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 18:18:44 GMT

Another “angry man with a gun” tragedy

Re: Virginia Beach shootings

Oostende — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 18:20:28 GMT

The FBI states that there were 250 active shooter incidents ibetween 2000 and 2017. 799 people were killed over the course of those 17 years.

A single death is too many but our chances of being involved in an active shooter situation is statistically zero.

Source: https://www.fbi.gov/about/partnerships/office-of-partner-engagement/active-shooter-incidents-graphics

Re: Virginia Beach shootings

Ms tyrion2 — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 18:20:42 GMT

@SilleeMee wrote:
I'm sorry for the loss.
Yet another mass shooting in a gun-free zone.

Yet another mass shooting with a semi automatic weapon with high capacity magazine.

Re: Virginia Beach shootings

golding76 — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 18:22:17 GMT

suzyQ3,

Despite training required by my employer, the federal government, I fear I would be panic-stricken and second-guessing whether to flee, hide or fight if faced with such a fateful attack. Probably the "fight" part is clear when you face your killer.

I am retired now, but the training was limited to an online video that we had to take for "credit" every year. We never practiced or spoke about the best places to hide in our office or whether or not to run to the conference rooms -- nothing like that. The only thing we ever practiced was a mass evacuation from the building, which came in handy in 2011 when we had a 5.6 (or so) earthquake.

When I think of what those poor souls faced yesterday as their work week wound down, I shudder. The shooter understood the group would be most vulnerable at that time, I am guessing.

Re: Virginia Beach shootings

SilleeMee — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 18:28:31 GMT

@Ms tyrion2 wrote:
@SilleeMee wrote:
I'm sorry for the loss.
Yet another mass shooting in a gun-free zone.

Yet another mass shooting with a semi automatic weapon with high capacity magazine.

No that is incorrect. The weapon used by the gunman was a 45 caliber handgun.

Re: Virginia Beach shootings

Jaspersmom — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 18:32:19 GMT

And my hope is some day, one day, we will have the national conversation we need to have to find some resolution. I'm sorry but it isn't normal to have to live this way. I don't want to turn this political and I do hope the moderator doesn't poof this thread, but we must as a nation do something that safeguards everyone. I can't imagine anyone in their right mind disagreeing with that.

Re: Virginia Beach shootings

bathina — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 18:34:05 GMT

There is a difference between active shooter incidents vs mass shooting incidents. There have been many, many more mass shootings in the last 17 years than described in the charts above. Please google for more info

The gun used was a 45 with extended magazines and a suppresor. People couldn't hear him coming and he had enough ammunition to have a long firefight with the police.

Be wary of self appointed forum police who will report posts and have the thread taken down because it doesn't fit their narrative.

Re: Virginia Beach shootings

esmerelda — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 18:35:03 GMT

@Oostende wrote:
The FBI states that there were 250 active shooter incidents ibetween 2000 and 2017. 799 people were killed over the course of those 17 years.

A single death is too many but our chances of being involved in an active shooter situation is statistically zero.

Source: https://www.fbi.gov/about/partnerships/office-of-partner-engagement/active-shooter-incidents-graphics

@Oostende Thanks for this. The comment by the trainer mentioned by in a post above (that it wasn't a question of if it would happen to everyone but when) just didn't ring true to me. More like a scare tactic. For what reason, I don't know.

The motive here is truly a mystery. This was an educated man with a job with local government...better paying and more secure than most. Although he was/had been in the National Guard, I've read nothing that said he'd been on active duty. His neighbors knew him but had little interaction aside from a smile or wave. I've seen no mention of family (parents, siblings, etc.), but it's still early I guess.

I don't kow a lot of details, although it was covered extensively by the local stations last night. I mostly tuned out. But I understand he had a silencer/suppressor. I think without that he'd have been stopped sooner and fewer would have died...because the sound would have alerted people. I understand he shot people on three floors.

Re: Virginia Beach shootings

esmerelda — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 18:37:23 GMT

@bathina How many dead before it's considered a "mass" shooting over active shooter incidents?

Re: Virginia Beach shootings

QueenDanceALot — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 18:38:39 GMT

@SilleeMee wrote:
@Ms tyrion2 wrote:
@SilleeMee wrote:
I'm sorry for the loss.
Yet another mass shooting in a gun-free zone.

Yet another mass shooting with a semi automatic weapon with high capacity magazine.

No that is incorrect. The weapon used by the gunman was a 45 caliber handgun.

Apparently several higher-capacity empty magazines were found near the shooter.